It’s Time to Begin the Book of Ruth!!! {Resources for Week 1}

Cue the Confetti! It’s time to begin! I am so excited to begin the Book of Ruth with you! If you do not have the study guide – you are still welcome to join us. (If you want to order it – it is still available on Amazon here.)

Let’s begin!

The story of Ruth and Boaz is one of the most beautiful examples of God’s love and sovereignty recorded in the Bible.

As the Book of Ruth begins you will see two women who were facing the worst days of their lives. They could not have known how God was setting the stage for their greatest blessings to come.

If you have suffered the loss of a loved one or the loss of a dream, then you will know exactly how Ruth felt. Ruth’s past could have held her back, but she courageously went forward with her life and she let God direct her paths.

In this study, you will see that you do not have to have a perfect family to be used by God. You will see a friendship that is life changing and you will see that nothing in life happens by accident.

Woven through out this beautiful love story is a greater story of God’s amazing love for us. In Week 5, we will take an in-depth look at how Boaz’s love for Ruth is a picture of God’s love for us. Be sure you finish Week 5 because like the finale of a fireworks show – it is simply the best!

I hope that this verse-by-verse study of the book of Ruth fills you to the brim with hope! Be sure to set aside at least 20 minutes a day for your study and if you fall behind, use the weekends to catch up.

Let’s begin this journey together as we walk with the King!!! 🙂

This Week’s Bible Reading Plan:

This week we will study the background and overview of the book of Ruth – so we will not begin reading the book of Ruth – verse by verse – until week 2. If you did not purchase the study guide please scroll down to find a printable journal that includes week 1 of the study guide for free! 😉

(Facebook Leaders: You can use this as your Facebook Header this week. Just right click and “save as” or screen shot it.)

This week’s Reflection & Discussion Questions

(Leaders: Copy and paste these into your groups. If you do not have a group, use these for a personal time of reflection.)

Day 1

What is your first overall impression from reading through the book of Ruth?

What insights has the Holy Spirit already revealed to you?

Day 2

List your closest friends. How can you be more selfless as a committed friend?

What changes can you make to open yourself up to friendships that cross barriers like race, age and religion?

How can you bring your friends closer to God simply through being a committed friend?

Day 3

Put yourself in Ruth’s shoes. After studying the history of her people, what sort of fears do you think Ruth had? When you make decisions, do you tend to take the selfless route or the selfish route?

What is your heritage? Did anyone have to make a sacrifice so you could live where you live today?

What is your spiritual heritage? Who made a sacrifice so you could be a child of God?

Day 4

Read 2 Timothy 3:1–5. Do you think the times we are living in resemble the dark days of the judges from the past? Explain your answer.

How then should we as Christians commit to live our lives regardless of cultural norms?

Day 5

Naomi followed her husband’s lead away from the Promised Land, into a foreign country with foreign customs. How do you think she felt in this new land?

Naomi’s husband’s choices led to her instability. Have you ever had a time when someone else’s choices caused you to suffer? How did God show up in the midst of your suffering?

Printable Journal: For those who did not purchase the Book of Ruth Study Guide this printable Journal below has been created for low-cost printing on a home printer. This journal includes the first 5 days of the in-depth study – as we cover the introduction to Ruth and the last 4 days of the study as we look deeper into Boaz as the Kinsman Redeemer. I don’t want anyone to miss that content. The rest of the pages include the SOAK pages for SOAKing your way through the book of Ruth on your own.**This is not the same as the In-depth Bible Study on Amazon but it is a good guide for those not purchasing the in-depth study.**

Here’s another explanation of the SOAK Bible Study Method and Bible Coloring Chart if you need more guidance:

Join us EVERY weekday morning ANYTIME after 7:00amEST on Facebookto discuss the day’s reading assignment.

Join the #GoodMorningGirls community by following me on Instagram .
I post pictures of my color coding there.Share your insights using the hashtag #GoodMorningGirls.

Want to learn more about the book of Ruth – check this out! It is excellent!

Have a wonderful week in God’s Word – I’ll see you back here on the blog this Friday as we go deeper into God’s Word together!

Walk with the King,

Courtney

**Chime In**

I’m so glad you are joining us! Have you done a study with us before? Where do you live? Do you have a GMG Group? Please introduce yourself in the comment section and share a few things about yourself! We’d love to meet you. 🙂

I’m from North Carolina. I went through the study of Ecclesiastes and LOVED it! I’ve also completed several other Good Morning Girls studies independently I have a small online group and this will be our second study together.

Hi! I have not done a prior study with these authors, but I am very much looking forward to it! A friend of mine invited me to join! I absolutely love the book of Ruth, and can’t wait to learn more of what God has in store as the weeks unfold. I am from Jacksonville, FL.

I have studied the book of Ruth before but I am looking forward to doing this in depth study to learn more. I have just re-read the story of Ruth in the book a Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers. This well written book expands on the Biblical stories of Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, Ruth and Mary, the mother of Jesus, in a beautiful way to bring the stories alive. There are also studies at the end of each story to enable you to dig deeper. Well worth reading!
Thank you Courtney and Beverley for all the work you have put in preparing this study.
I live on the south coast of England and I have been following ‘blogging through the Bible’ since the beginning.

I’m so glad you found us and are joining us!!! If you are on Facebook – come join the daily discussions here: http://www.facebook.com/GoodMorningGirlsWLW and then be sure to come back here this Friday for the Wrap-Up video!

I am so glad God led you here and am excited for you to be doing your first Bible study EVER!!! Hooray! I am saying a prayer for you this morning – that God would bless your heart and reveal himself to you in a very real way through your study of His word. See you back here on the blog this Friday for the video and if you are on facebook come join our morning discussions here: http://www.facebook.com/GoodMorningGirlsWLW

Hi I’m Hannah from Nigeria, this is actually my first bible study session with u, I don’t have a GMG group I wish I did, I just finished college and I want to serve God and do his will, but i m not deeply rooted in the word of God that pushed me to look for bible study sessions so I would have a deeper understanding, I’m still single😁

I’m so glad you found us here all the way from Nigeria!!! I love your heart to be more deeply rooted in God’s Word and I am praying for you this morning that God would do that for you!!! Be sure to come back here on the blog this Friday for the video and if you are on facebook come join our morning discussions here: http://www.facebook.com/GoodMorningGirlsWLW

I woke up so excited this morning to get started on this wonderful lesson with you ladies! Let’s DO THIS!!!! Tune out the world for awhile, ignore all the media, clear your mind and soak up the Lords words. God Bless!!

So excited to begin the study.
Growing up without a loving father it is often hard to realize the Fathers love for us. Looking forward to learning and having it drop the longest 18 inched, from my head to my ❤️
Thanks

I’m doing this study independently. I’ve been with you since the very beginning. 🙂 I live in a small town in Oklahoma, where there are no traffic lights and it’s not rare to see someone riding a horse down the road! (Seriously!) I can’t wait to crack open my journal….first, I will begin the homeschool day for my 2 kids and then during one of our breaks, I’ll have time for my in-depth Bible study for the day. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear and learn what God has for me through this study!

I am Tammy from Montgomery, AL. I have been doing your Bible studies for many years. I love the book of Ruth. In fact, it hasn’t been that long that I did a “Love God Greatly” study over this great book. I am anxious to see the difference in how you and your sweet mom interpret this study compared to Angela and her team at Love God Greatly. I love doing Bible studies to draw even closer to God. Thanks for the hard work you and your mom have put into this study. I know it will be a blessing to my life.

Good Morning, My name is Diana and I am from Southern California. I have tried to do one other Bible Study on-line but didn’t really get it. Hopefully, I will do better this time. I am finding it much more explanatory. I love the story of Ruth. I love the lessons as well. I have two sons and both are married and my daughters-in-law are on opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. Love and respect for each other are so important. I am thankful that God loves us always, even when those around us may not. Thank you for all your efforts in helping us grow and be a community of loving women.

Hi Courtney! Long time follower here! But first time to be LEADING one of your Bible studies in “real time.” A group of community ladies began to meet last year and we’re now doing Ruth with WLW. ❤
Kim Anderson
(Oh & our daughter is now a Senior at Moody!! We live in PA. My husband & I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Friday! ❤)

So looking forward to this study on one of my favorite women of the bible. I recently lost my 18 yr old daughter in a car accident so can definitely relate to loss. God strengthens me everyday to carry on and digging in the bible keeps me focused! So excited to see where this takes me.

I’m joining you from the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area and have been sharing with GMG for several years both in small groups and now independently. Thank you, Courtney, for including the YouTube video. I have enjoyed those so much for book overviews. I am a retired nurse with a number of health challenges keeping me at home most of the time. It is a place if Blessing especially since I can now spend more time in Bible Study, meditation, and enjoying on-line connections like GMG. Thank You for being here! Ruth is a wonderful & inspiring study. Looking forward to our five weeks together! BLESSING to ALL!

I’m interested to study the book of Ruth but I’m not understanding how to begin with you. Unfortunately I can’t afford to buy the materials listed but I do have bibles will you help me get started by telling me how please. Do we go to Facebook to begin the study of Ruth?

Letitia,
There is a link to the printable shorter version of the study up above. If you don’t have a printer, you can always read it on pdf and answer the questions on notebook paper. GMG has a facebook page and you can comment and participate there, or sign up with a small group. I am not on facebook, so I comment here and read the and print the shorter version. I hope this helps.
Of course, if you want to participate here. I can share insights with you.
God bless,
Christy

I’m Christy from Ohio. I just finished Psalm 1-50 this summer. I loved the insights you gave. I am currently doing this study on my own, but I plan on inviting my sisters to do it with me. I am very excited about this. I have studied this before. My nickname for my husband is Boaz. My first marriage was unhealthy and abusive. God brought my husband into my life two years after my first marriage ended. He gave me hope in love again and redeemed me, but most importantly though, Christ redeemed me and gave me a new life. I home school two beautiful girls. Please note though, my husband is far from perfect as am I…. But isn’t that truly what God’s redemptive plan is all about…God using imperfect people to accomplish his perfect plan. God bless.

I love the book of Ruth and so happy to be starting the study with you and all of the Good Morning Girls community, even though satan already tried to stop me from it yesterday (I apparently didn’t turn on my alarm and over slept) but he isn’t gonna get me, I am starting this morning with Monday’s study and will finish the week on Saturday a.m. This is my 4th year to be reading through the Bible, one chapter at a time, with you. I began in September 2014. What a blessing it was to find you!! I had been searching forever for a good online Bible Study and nothing ever really appealed to me and I just didnt have the time to read 3 to 5 chapters a day. When I came across GMG, that whole “one chapter a day” is what hooked me. It was something I KNEW I could do and I knew I would ‘soak’ it in better doing it that way. I have been so blessed by your studies over these last 4 years, as I know so many have. I am looking forward to celebrating many more ‘anniversaries’ of reading the Bible, one chapter at a time, with you and GMG. Thank you for giving of yourself, so selflessly, to help others, like me, grow in the Lord. May God richly bless you in your life, in every way.
Blessings, Love, and Hugs!!
ps, I live in Mississippi

Hi! My name is Heather. I did the Ecclesiastes study but I didn’t do it on here, I did it on my own. And I loved that one. I’m looking forward to doing Ruth on here with y’all! Ruth is one of my favorite stories in the Bible! I love in Mendenhall, Mississippi!

I am so excited to join you (Good Morning Girls) as you begin the study of the book of Ruth, It’s my first time to study this book and is quite a blessing. l believe there will be a lot of enjoyment walking with the King till the end.
Much blessings, love.
Nairobi – Kenya

New to the women living well family. Very impressed so far! I’ve been looking for a way to study the Bible and with other women makes it very exciting. I am following the study guide, just wondered is this study on your own or do you have a video or live viewing of the study each day? Thanks so much.

Hi Courtney,
Well, here I am again. It’s Saturday, I have read one chapter and still have no idea what I am doing. Is there a blog to write on everyday , the discussion questions? I guess I need step by step instructions. It can’t be rocket science. I need this study on a regular basis badly. At our church our life study groups are when it isn’t practical for me to fit them in but I miss group Bible Studies so much. I used to lead them while my husband was pastoring (retired).
I believe the book drawing may have been by the author herself.
I look forward to additional assistance from you.
Eagerly,
Jane Taylor

Yes – the In-depth study guide will take you verse by verse through the book of Ruth with both commentary and reflective questions just like week 1 and 5 on the printable version. So it is the same format for weeks 2,3 & 4 in the study guide. 😉

I was introduced to your studies by my daughter who has been with you for several years.
I hope to follow through this study of Ruth. I did a study with a church group several years
ago and loved it. It is a beautiful and encouraging story.
I have some trouble keeping up with the reading due to some sight issues, but I will try to
keep up. I love being in GOD’S WORD and I love studying with other women. Since we moved
away from our church I haven’t joined any new groups. We lost a daughter a few years ago,
unexpectedly and recently another daughter was diagnosed with “early onset Alzheimers”.
It has been devastating to my family. Only God’s love sustains us. Looking forward to studying
with you. Sally Turner

Hi! A few cousins and a couple of their friends joined me for our first GMG study! We are excited and loving it! This is something I’ve never done as a group so it’s my first time as a leader too. Thank you for having all of the resources available for us newbies! I’m in the Houston Texas area. 🙂

I’m joining the Ruth study & ordered the in-depth Ruth from Amazon. Thanks for being out there. Not sure of the format used? Video? I usually have Bible Study in my home. Also create non-denominational Christian Women’s Retreats in Oregon…10 days until retreat! Needing that in-depth study & growing even closer to Jesus.